WASHINGTON - NASA’s mega moon rocket appears to be at crossroads following a major announcement by Boeing that it plans to significantly decrease the number of employees working on the project.

NASA has long said it plans to use the SLS rocket to power 10 or more Artemis missions, which will aim to return humans to the moon’s surface as well as set up a permanent lunar outpost.

NASA/Joel Kowsky Boeing informed its Space Launch System (SLS) team of potential layoffs, a worrying sign that NASA’s Moon rocket may be at risk after massive cost overruns and schedule delays.

Boeing Co. managed to preserve half of the 400 jobs it previously considered eliminating at its moon-rocket program following talks with NASA, potentially pointing to greater certainty over future funding despite concerns over a potential shake-up by Donald Trump.